Birthday Moves
by LilyGhost
Summary: Although it's Ranger's birthday, Stephanie is the one feeling celebrated. A Ranger POV story.


**This story popped into my head when I was innocently shopping and the song "Rude" by Magic! came over the store's speakers. Stephanie was feeling 'adventurous', so I made it an early birthday story for Ranger. Anything and everything familiar belongs to Janet. Warnings for a little smut.**

" _Ranger?_ " Helen said. "What are you doing here?" She looked behind me towards the driveway. "Where's Stephanie?"

"She's with Ella baking what will be my birthday cake."

"Happy Birthday," she said as if on autopilot.

"It's well on its way to becoming one."

"Why is Stephanie asking _your housekeeper_ for help instead of coming to me?"

"That's a question that will take longer than I have to answer."

I didn't wait to be invited inside. I took a step forward and as predicted ... Mrs. Plum took a backwards one away from me so I was given immediate access to their house. That negative physical reaction would've set Steph off, but I find her mother's aversion to me amusing. If I need approval from someone like Helen Plum, I'd have to seriously consider undergoing multiple psych evaluations like the ones my men are required to clear periodically if they want to work for me.

"Mr. Plum," I said, nodding to the man who actually looked away from the game he'd been engrossed in. "I'd like to have a word with you and your wife."

"What about?" He asked.

"Your daughter."

"What about Stephanie?" Helen asked. "What did she do now? I thought you said she's with that Ella woman."

Now is where _I_ get annoyed. "Both Stephanie and I see _Ella_ as more than just a Rangeman employee, and the two of them have become very close. Stephanie hasn't done anything except make my life better by agreeing to be in it, which is why I'm here. If you would sit down after your husband turns off the TV ..." I stopped talking until he did as I suggested and switched off the game, "I'd like to let you both know something before Stephanie does."

Mrs. Plum suddenly looked frightened. I'm not sure which would upset her more, something bad happening to her daughter ... or Steph agreeing to something permanent with me. I watched Helen swallow nervously and knew the answer. _I'm_ more frightening than any bullet to this woman.

She moved to the armchair near her husband's recliner and sat down on the edge of the cushion. She looked at everything in the room except me. I didn't let her get away with it. I leaned back against the sofa and said nothing, ignoring Frank's throat clear-prompt. Helen can manipulate her husband and their neighborhood's opinion, but I won't allow her to pull my or Stephanie's strings.

" _Well?_ " She asked, finally meeting my eyes.

It's a small concession from her, but I did gain the upper hand. She has to wait for me now to get the information she's dying, yet terrified, to know.

"What's this all about?" Frank asked, uncomfortable with the sound of silence for background noise instead of the incessant drone of television voices. "Where's Stephanie?"

"Apparently, our daughter is with Ranger's housekeeper trying to make dessert."

"She's not _trying_ , she's already made what she set out to. Ella is there mainly for moral support and kitchen conversation."

"I've been making cakes since I was a child myself. She should have called me."

"So you could tell her she's doing it wrong?" I asked. "Why would she put herself through that when Ella will have her enjoying the entire process instead of regretting every second of it."

"Some of our best times," Helen said, "were when Stephanie and I were in the kitchen together."

"Like when you sat with her at your kitchen table and repeatedly told her that she sucks at her job and should give it up and find something she can actually do? Or when you ordered her away from the back door during blind dates she never agreed to? Maybe you mean when you said over cookies and milk that she should grow up, settle down, and marry a man who should've spent time in jail for what he's pulled over the years because he's the only one who'll want her?"

Frank stared at me as if I'd suddenly sprouted a second head before glancing at his wife. "You didn't do all that, did you?"

"Of course not."

"You may not have said those exact words," I told her, "but Stephanie has felt that you meant them word for word."

"You came over here specifically to accuse me of mistreating my own daughter?" She asked.

"No. It's a moot point anyway since Stephanie has decided on her own to limit her time here. The reason for my visit is tonight I'm asking her to move in with me and I don't want a word said against it when she tells you about it."

Helen's horrified expression froze and I felt the denial before it was given.

"Absolutely not," she said, shaking her head.

"I'm not asking your permission ... I'm only informing you of what's about to change. I'm also warning you not to hurt your daughter when she shares her news with you. There will be repercussions if you do."

"Are you threatening me?"

"If you'd like to call it that."

"I know my daughter, and she will not be pleased to hear that you're speaking to us this way."

"If you knew 'your daughter' at all, you'd understand that she's happy with me and won't appreciate you trying to control me through her. That strategy didn't work for Morelli, and I guarantee you won't be any more successful."

"Joseph was good to her."

"He's a predator who should've been made a pariah. If you cared about Stephanie, you would've tried to get charges brought against him long ago, or at the very least ... kept her away from him instead of pushing a wedding to him on her. It's well known that if someone even looks at my daughter wrong ... there will be nothing left of them."

"You don't know anything about my family ..."

"But I have extensive knowledge on how people like you think. I will never make her choose between me and her family, but I know you will ... and you'll lose."

"How dare you ..." she started to say.

I continued to speak as though her words mean little to me ... they mean even less than that.

"Stephanie loves me and she's not about to give me up, so you may want to consider that while you're deciding which ultimatum to give her."

"Stephanie is a grown woman," Frank added, glancing nervously at his wife, "she can see whoever - and live wherever - she wants."

"You don't have to like me," I told them. "I don't care if you do, but I won't let you come down on her for choosing me." I stood. "Think about what I said. I expect Stephanie will make contact tomorrow, you need to decide if you want it to be the last time you see her."

Frank was back looking at Helen, and she was staring straight ahead, not acknowledging him or my departure. I drove back to the Rangeman building and found Steph coming out of my kitchen. I stood where I was and watched her walk towards me. Few things make my heart actually race ... she can do it just from being in front of me.

"You're just in time," she told me. "Ella went down to fix dinner for the guys and I finished the final frosting layer on your cake. She's so good, she made me look like I knew what I was doing. My mom would've kicked me out of the kitchen after I dropped the first of many eggshells into the bowl. Don't worry, I fished every one of them out so your cake won't be crunchy."

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her just because I wanted to ... and because I can.

"I didn't need a cake, Babe."

"Yeah, you did. And I wanted to be the one to do something for you. I would've kept the mess at my place, but if my stun-stove shocked me one more time, I would've shot it like I did Hector's lock gizmo.

"The wiring in that building is dangerous."

"I know. That's why I've been doing more stuff here. My crappy apartment gives me plenty of excuses to spend more time with you. So ... where did you disappear to?"

"I had a situation to diffuse."

"That sounds ominous. Is it something you feel like sharing?" She asked.

"I can, but I have something more important to discuss with you."

"Good or bad?"

"Good," I assured her.

She moved the silver dish that is now holding my car keys and she hoisted herself up onto the sideboard. "Shoot."

I stood between her legs and placed my hands flat on the wood on each side of her hips. "I'd like for you to tell Dillon tomorrow that you're moving out."

"You want me to give up my apartment?"

"Yes."

"And what? Live with you? _Here_?"

"If _here_ isn't acceptable, we can get a place together somewhere else."

"You're kidding, right? You must've noticed that when I run away from home, _this_ is the place I run to."

"So that's a yes?"

She propelled herself off my furniture and onto me. I caught her weight easily.

"That was more than a yes. That was a ... _are the guys good sports when it comes to moving someone's crap across town?_ "

Her ankles crossed behind me and my hand moved to her ass to keep her there. "They turn exceedingly polite when I give them a healthy bonus for not bitching too loudly about a job."

Her lips were coming to meet mine, but she paused an inch away from my mouth. She drew her head back and looked at me.

"Today is _your_ birthday not mine, _you_ should be the one getting surprised."

"Having you agree to stay here where it's safer, more comfortable, and closer to me, is all I've wanted every day, not just this one."

"So I shouldn't have gone out special to buy the skimpy underwear I put on right before you came in for after you get your cake?"

My left hand was already sliding under the hem of her shirt. My fingertips brushed lace and without having to be told to, my feet moved towards what will soon be _our_ bedroom.

Steph broke the kiss I'd sealed her lips into. "But I made you a cake ..."

"Thank you."

"Don't you want to try it?" She asked.

"Later," I said, licking the sensitive skin beneath her ear.

"It's a white-chocolate layer cake with mocha frosting ..."

"Sounds good, but I know what will taste better."

I dropped her onto the bed and reached for her shirt to see what color lace she chose. Her bra is the same color blue as her eyes, and I quickly found out that her barely-there panties matched both.

"I love that you wanted to make me something," I said, undoing the hooks on her bra and tugging it off her, "but I have to admit ... eating _cake_ isn't what I'm thinking about right now."

I drew the tip of her breast into my mouth and she sighed as my tongue rasped her nipple.

"I never thought I'd hear myself say this ... but I don't want cake right now, either."

Her hands were in my hair as my fingers worked her through her panties before I hooked both hands into them and pulled them down her legs.

"Your clothes," she all but moaned.

"Are coming off now," I finished for her.

I knelt over her naked body and peeled my Rangeman t-shirt over my head.

Her fingertips skimmed my chest and stomach. "Pants, too," she ordered me.

"Bossy."

"Yep ... now take them off."

I leaned down and bit her nipple gently, but did as she asked. I kicked my boots off, got rid of my socks, and pushed my cargos off. Steph had lifted herself up on her elbows to watch, and she was reaching for me as soon as I was as bare as she is. Her legs parted before I climbed back on the bed and I felt a deeper sense of 'rightness' than I've experienced before as I slid into her. Knowing she was already wet for me before I even got started had me growing harder inside her. Her nails sank into my back as I began to move, and she was officially moaning my name a beat later. Pleasing her is almost too easy, and I can't get enough of doing it.

"Thank you," I said, against the damp curls at her temple, "for making this a birthday I never want to forget."

Her laugh was almost soundless, but I still heard it. "I'm pretty sure _I_ should be the one thanking _you_."

I rolled onto my back and had her straddling me. "Feel free to try."

She's never backed down from a challenge, and _I_ was groaning her name by the time she was finished with me.

"Are you positive you want to come with me to tell my parents that I'll be living here now?" She asked the following morning, hours after she'd sampled the cake and I savored the taste and texture of her.

For my birthday, I received a call, a card, and a framed 'Certificate Of Excellence' for being the best father to her, from Julie. As is tradition, my family gave donations in Rangeman's name to various veteran's hospitals and organizations. And along with a 'naughty' coupon book that we put a sizeable dent in before and after I unwrapped it, Stephanie also gave me my most rewarding gift by becoming my roommate ... a 'roommate' who appears perfectly happy to remain in bed with me until our lunch date in the Burg.

"I'm coming with you, Babe. By now you shouldn't need the warning, but here it is anyway ... I don't plan on being far from you, even if it means contact with your family."

"I didn't think you'd let me step into the lion's den alone, but I wanted to give you an out if you needed one."

"I don't."

"Okay, so I suppose we should get cleaned up and head over. I shouldn't care what they think but ..."

"Wanting approval from your parents isn't unreasonable, Steph."

"I know. But it shouldn't matter what anyone says."

"As long as you're happy, nothing else matters, but it's not wrong to want the people closest to you to be happy for you."

She laced her fingers together on my chest, rested her chin on her hands, and then looked at me. "Thanks. I know my family is a lot to take ..."

My fingers disappeared into her tangled hair and I gently combed through a few of the strands. "My opinion isn't important in this case. If you'd like to tell them about your impending move, we'll go. Simple as that."

"I would say you're just being nice to get me naked, but I'm already there."

My hands migrated down to her bare back. "We still have an hour before you said we'd be there."

She slid up my body, lifted her hips, and then slowly lowered them down onto me. "If we don't take long in the shower, we can make it."

The shower was a shared one, but we mostly behaved ourselves so we reached Chambersburg with four minutes to spare. Steph knocked on the door as she opened it so her mother wouldn't have to.

"Stephanie ... Ranger, how good of you to come."

That polite, yet formal greeting had Steph pausing. "Umm ... didn't we agree that I'd or we'd be over today?"

"Yes. Our home has been attracting quite a few visitors this week. I made spinach and mushroom-stuffed chicken breasts and pasta salad for lunch. I hope that will be alright. I trust Ranger's birthday was a good one."

"It was. And lunch sounds great," she told her mom, but her eyes were on me.

"Your father is already at the table," Helen said to her.

She walked away, but Stephanie didn't follow her. "Is she acting weird?"

"I can't say, since your family always appears odd to me."

She nudged me with an elbow, but we did continue through the house.

"Please have a seat," Mrs. Plum told us.

"Okay ... what's going on?" Steph asked, sensing a clear disturbance in the force.

"Whatever do you mean? Frank, is there anything going on?"

Steph looked back and forth between me and her parents. _"_ You were _here_ when I was baking with Ella, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"What did you tell them?"

"I told them the truth, Babe. You love me and there's nothing they can do about it. I gave your parents a choice ... they can be nice or I won't be."

Helen's lips disappeared as she retracted them. Clearly I'm not earning any parental points by being honest.

" _Mom?_ " Steph said.

She knows something important was said, but she doesn't know exactly what I'd threatened.

"You can do whatever you want, Stephanie," Helen finally said. "If you believe _this man_ will make you happy ... so be it."

"Not only do I think _Ranger_ ," she said emphasizing my name, "can make me happy, I _know_ he will ... because he already has."

Helen's glass of 'ice tea' was drained in a series of gulps that would've made Santos proud.

Frank looked pointedly at his wife's now empty glass, as if noticing for the first time how often, and how fast, her beverages disappear at the table. He then spoke to his daughter.

"It's not our job any more to tell you what to do, Stephanie. If you want to see Ranger, that's your business. But if you want my opinion, I think if you two are serious, you should be married before living together. It's the right thing to do."

"Maybe for you and Mom. I've done the marriage before living together thing ... and all it did was give Dickie a table that belonged to me to do Joyce on."

I took her hand under the table and stroked the back of it with my thumb until she looked at me.

"That was a defect in Orr himself," I told her. "It was never about you or being married to you."

"I know. I wasn't comparing what we have to what I endured with him. My point is that we don't have to get married unless _we_ want to. I've learned my lesson. I'm not doing anything based on public opinion or appearances again."

"Fine by me, but consider the marriage conversation always open," I told her, "in case you ever find yourself changing your mind."

"You'd marry her?" Helen asked.

"Jeez, Mom," Steph said, "it's not like I'm a disease-infested gold digger like Joyce, or a crazy pregnant lady like Valerie was with Kloughn. Why _wouldn't_ Ranger want to marry me?"

"Proud of you, Babe."

She flashed me a smile. We haven't openly discussed marriage before, but now that it's on the table, I can see plenty of benefits to doing it.

"Thanks," she said. "You're handy to have as backup."

"I try."

"You're getting married?" Helen said, as if that would magically change the tone of this entire conversation.

Steph sighed. "No. I'm moving into Ranger's apartment ring-free. I'm doing it because I don't want to be even ten minutes away from him. _If_ we ever get married it'll be for a similar reason ... that I can't imagine not being his wife. I thought I should be a grown-up and tell you about our plans myself instead of Grandma Mazur hearing it at Giovichinni's, but now I'm thinking coming here wasn't such a good idea. I must've been delusional to think there was a possibility of you guys being excited or a teeny bit happy because I've found my reason to be."

"Your mother and I are not telling you what to do or what not to do," Frank said.

"You're not saying ' _congratulations_ ' or ' _I'm happy for you_ ', either."

It's clear to me how frustrated she's becoming and I reacted immediately. "We're done here," I stated. "You're welcome at Rangeman only if you're ready to listen to what Stephanie is really telling you. If not ..."

I left my sentence unfinished.

"I'm ready to go," Steph told me.

"It's your life, Stephanie," Helen said. "If you want to take a chance with it again ..."

"I'm _improving_ my life, Mom. As Ranger pointed out yesterday, living with him means I'll be in a safer building, with a man who loves me, surrounded by the best of everything ... including people. You approved of Valerie and Kloughn's relationship and they were way more screwed-up than we are. And now because of their schedules and the kids, they only see each other long enough to make another one, yet you're all smiles when you're talking to the neighbors about them. I hate to leave a salad that doesn't contain actual vegetables, but I'm thinking Ranger and I will pick up a few pizzas and have lunch with the guys at my almost ex-apartment."

"So you're actually going through with it?" Her mother asked. "You're going to give up your home, your 'independence', the life you've claimed to be proud of for the last ten years, _for him_?"

"Yes, because I'd do just about anything for Ranger ... like he's already done for me. But also no, because he doesn't want me to change. He loves and wants me as is. I'm going to take that frown as a sign that you're glad to hear it."

"You're a grown woman now, and if this is what you want for yourself we have no choice but to accept it," Frank said.

"That doesn't exactly give me the warm fuzzies, Dad. Judging by how effective Ranger and the guys are, I'll likely be all settled in by tomorrow night if Grandma wants to come check out my new place."

We left as we came in, hand in hand with no chance of anyone coming between us.

"I'm fine," she assured me, as I paused in closing the car door for her.

"You're more than fine, Babe. I'm betting your parents will come to their senses by the end of the week when you're a no-show at dinner and they have to amuse your nieces all by themselves." I leaned into the vehicle to kiss her. "In the meantime, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy having you all to myself."


End file.
